


Colorful Words

by SociallyAwkwardFox (Maze_Runner_Fae)



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fills [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Colors, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt, Words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 23:09:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8773090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maze_Runner_Fae/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: anonymous  asked: I think everyone--and definitely me--could use a little more JayTim soulmate au in their life? Pretty please? I'll love you forever.-----------JayTim Soulmate AU where words from your soulmate only show up on your skin when their emotions are heightened and the color of the words correlate to the emotion. I might create an entire ‘verse out of this because I love it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Anon: Hopefully this is worthy of your eternal love!

At the tender age of eight, Tim starts to question the entire notion of kindred spirits-more commonly referred to as soulmates. He knows they exist. He’s witnessed plenty of people have words suddenly scrawling across their skin in various colors and handwriting. There’s no denying they exist, but Tim doesn’t understand why. He knows better than to ask his parents, who are part of the twenty-four percent without soulmates-so he looks in other places.

The libraries in Gotham have large sections of books dedicated to nothing but soulmates. Tim ignores all the fictional ones and spends his time devouring any scientific or psychology journal he can find. By the time he’s read everything he can get his hands on, he feels like he’s running in circles in his own head. One journal has findings that prove one thing and another finds something completely contradictory. It’s beyond frustrating to Tim and in the end, Tim comes to the conclusion that no one knows anything. Soulmates are a mystery that no one can explain.

Not long after he draws his conclusion, Tim receives his first set of words from his soulmate and falls in love. They’re utterly ridiculous and he now knows his soulmate is either much older than him or someone his parents wouldn’t approve of (possibly both). Their handwriting is extremely precise and the words are a combination of red and orange. It reminds Tim of the vibrant sunsets he watches from his room in the mansion every night. He thinks the fact there is more than the traditional one color, must mean his soulmate is full of passion.

He tries to find out more about his soulmate in the short time the words stay on his skin, but there’s nothing more to be found in the angry rant. It’s brutish, yet elegant and nothing more. Instead of showing his parents like most people would, Tim writes down what he remembers in a journal and shoves it between his mattress and the box spring. He knows his parents will never find it there and any of the maids that happen upon it will write it off as a new, childish obsession.

Over the years, he adds to the journal. He writes every word he possibly can down, includes the color the words were on his skin and the date. From the words, he begins to piece together what little clues he can find about his soulmate in them. On the inside front cover of the journal, he creates a bulleted list of all the things he knows. His mother is a drug addict, he loves literature and uses his knowledge of it as a weapon, he’s three to four years older than Tim, and he’s a he. It’s not much, but Tim holds onto every tiny scrap of who his soulmate is because it makes his soulmate real.

Some nights he wonders if his soulmate does the same and others he worries that his soulmate may not have gotten any words yet. Tim isn’t prone to losing his temper and while he experiences sadness quite often, he rarely says anything during those times. In general, Tim’s a rather quiet person and he hopes his soulmate isn’t left in the dark because of it. It’s a thought that haunts him for years and by the time he gets to college, he still doesn’t know the answer because he still hasn’t met them yet.

Despite not knowing who his soulmate is, college is the end of Tim’s loneliness and he slowly finds people he loves. He meets Cass at the gym at an unreasonable hour, Steph during an all-night study session at the library, Bart runs into him on his way to class, and Kon save him from walking into a wall without noticing. They all become close and Tim begins to think of them as family instead of his distant parents. It’s because of these new relationships, Tim’s now positive his soulmate has now had Tim’s words on his skin.

The day he finally, finally meets him is nothing like the movies. The sun isn’t shining brightly in the sky (it’s a torrential downpour outside) and he probably smells disgusting because he spends the morning with Cass and Kon at the gym. He’s sweaty and gross and wishes he had time to get caffeine before he came to class. When he drops into his usual seat in the front row, he’s surprised to find someone that isn’t his professor standing at the front of the classroom.

The man looks out of place at the front of a classroom, what with the leather jacket and undercut hairstyle. Tim can tell from the slight shift in his features every few seconds, that the man is listening to the two people sitting behind Tim. They’re both complaining loudly about the previous night’s reading and Tim has to fight the urge to start laughing at their inaccurate understanding of the material. Somehow, the man seems to know exactly what Tim is thinking and does an exaggerated eye roll at their next awful comment.

It turns out the man is getting a masters in something that has to do with literature, but he doesn’t go into great detail about it. He’s doing their professor a favor because she and their TA are out of town at some conference or another (his words). They end up spending the whole class having a discussion over the reading-Jason doesn’t seem particularly worried about ignoring the assignment-and things go normally, until the very end. One of the people behind Tim makes a crude comment, then Jason loses his temper and Tim feels the familiar sensation of words crawling along his skin. When he looks down at them, they match Jason’s passionate speech word for word.

“Are you okay?” Jason’s voice is rough because of the yelling, but it still manages to come across as kind. “You look a little dazed.”

“I’m fine. Great actually. Better than great and now I’m rambling.”

“Even the most elegant of writers and poets, struggle with words from time to time.”

“Thanks. I just need to get my thoughts together. You’re my soulmate.”

Jason raises his eyebrows to his hairline, then glances down at the arm Tim is holding in his other hand and the bright red and orange words starting to fade from it. “Huh. Wasn’t expecting that today. Roy’s going to want a thank you for deciding to go to the conference. How does coffee sound?”

“Fantastic.”

“Thought so. Most of the words I get from you are ranting, green paragraphs about needing coffee.”

“That’s embarrassing.”

“Nah. It’s cute. I’m sure your parents weren’t pleased by anything I left on your skin.”

“I never told my parents.” Tim looped his arm through the one Jason held out to him and followed the older man out of the classroom. “They don’t have soulmates and I knew they wouldn’t approve. I found it entertaining. I’m particularly fond of the ones that included literary insults.”

“You’re definitely perfect. I’m keeping you.”

“Great. I was planning to do the same.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I'm taking prompts on my Tumblr (sociallyawkwardfoxwriter), so if you have a prompt you want done head over there! Have a great day.


End file.
